Business software applications, such as Customer Relationship Management applications, Supply Chain Management applications, etc., provide business functionality to business users. Business applications typically execute within a business application platform having a dedicated user interface, and support user communication and collaboration. All business-related communication and collaboration is ideally performed through the business application platform, in order to capture all of the business information therein and to provide a centralized repository of consistent, persisted and auditable business information.
However, the ubiquity of electronic mail communication, and the difficulty in obtaining a communication link to a business application platform in some (e.g., mobile) scenarios, result in significant use of electronic mail for business communication and collaboration. Efficient integration between electronic mail and the applications provided by a business application platform is therefore desired.
This integration is particularly difficult in view of collaborative electronic mail communications between three or more parties. For example, in a conventional scenario, a Sales Representative uses electronic mail to propose a Sales Order to a customer. The customer, via return electronic mail, either accepts the Sales Order or requests modifications. The Sales Representative then sends a final Sales Order via electronic mail to a Sales Manager for approval. The Sales Manager forwards the approved Sales Order by electronic mail to data entry clerks, who finally create the Sales Order in a backend business application platform. Accordingly, none of the communications which occurred prior to creation of the Sales Order, which represent potentially-valuable business knowledge, are captured in the business application platform.